2009–10 LV Cup

The 2009–10 LV Cup (styled as the LV= Cup) was the 39th season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the fifth to follow the Anglo-Welsh format.

2009–10 LV Cup
Tournament details
Countries	England  Wales
Tournament format(s)	Round-robin and knockout
Date	November 2009 - March 2010
Tournament statistics
Teams	16
Matches played	35
Attendance	278,978 (7,971 per match)
Tries scored	150 (4.29 per match)
Final
Venue	Sixways Stadium
Attendance	12,024
Champions	Northampton Saints (1st title)
Runners-up	Gloucester
← 2008–09 (Previous) (Next) 2010–11 →

Northampton Saints were crowned champions after beating Gloucester in the final at Worcester's Sixways Stadium.

The structure of the competition was altered from previous years. The competition continued to consist of the four Welsh Celtic League teams and the twelve Guinness Premiership clubs, arranged into pools consisting of three English teams and one Welsh. However, the new format saw teams guaranteed two home and two away pool matches, with teams in Pools 1 and 4 playing each other and teams in Pools 2 and 3 playing each other.^[1] The competition took place on international fixture dates during the Autumn Internationals and Six Nations, with the aim of allowing teams to develop their squad players.^[2]

On 29 October 2009, little more than a week before the start of this season's competition, British insurer LV was unveiled as the new sponsor.^[3]

Pool stage

Points system

The points scoring system for the pool stage was as follows:^[4]

• 4 points for a win
• 2 points for a draw
• 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match (TB)
• 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less (LB)

The ranking criteria were:

• If two or more clubs in the same pool end the pool stage equal on match points, then the order in which they have finished will be determined by:
  • i. the greater number of matches won by the club and
  • ii. if the number of matches won is equal, the club with the greater total number of tries scored and
  • iii. if the total number of tries scored is equal, the club with the greater points difference (points scored for, less points scored against) and
  • iv. if the points difference is equal, the club with the fewer number of red cards and
  • v. if the number of red cards is the same, by the toss a coin.

Pool 1 v Pool 4

Pool 1

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	T	TB	LB	Pts
1	Saracens	4	2	0	2	83	69	+14	8	1	1	10
2	Leicester Tigers	4	2	0	2	84	82	+2	10	1	0	9
3	Sale Sharks	4	1	0	3	57	83	−26	7	1	1	6
4	Ospreys	4	1	0	3	68	97	−29	9	0	1	5

Source: ^[5]

Pool 4

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	T	TB	LB	Pts
1	Northampton Saints	4	4	0	0	81	45	+36	7	0	0	16
2	Newport Gwent Dragons	4	3	0	1	103	79	+24	10	0	0	12
3	Bath	4	2	0	2	94	75	+19	12	1	0	9
4	Leeds Carnegie	4	1	0	3	53	93	−40	6	0	1	5

Source: ref name="Premiership" />

Round 1

5 November 2009 19:30

Ospreys	17–19	Northampton Saints
Try: Spratt Hibbard Con: Owen Pen: Owen	Report	Try: Cannon Con: Myler Pen: Myler (4)

Liberty Stadium, Swansea Attendance: 4,322 Referee: James Jones (WRU)

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6 November 2009 19:30

Newport Gwent Dragons	20–9	Sale Sharks
Try: Connor Lee Con: Connor Greendale Pen: Connor Greendale	Report	Pen: Hodgson (3)

Rodney Parade, Newport Attendance: 4,539 Referee: Martin Fox (RFU)

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8 November 2009 15:00

Leeds Carnegie	28–17	Leicester Tigers
	Report

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 3,893 Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)

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8 November 2009 15:00

Saracens	30–22	Bath
	Report

Vicarage Road, Watford Attendance: 6,654 Referee: Dean Richards (RFU)

Round 2

13 November 2009 19:45

Sale Sharks	27–3	Leeds Carnegie
Try: Vakacegu Ripol O'Donnell Seymour Con: Hodgson (2) Pen: Hodgson	Report	Pen: Ford

Edgeley Park, Stockport Attendance: 5,536

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14 November 2009 12:30

Bath	21–11	Ospreys
Try: Watson Browne Con: Davis Pen: Davis (3)	Report	Try: Tipuric Pen: Davies Owen

Recreation Ground, Bath Attendance: 10,789 Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)

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14 November 2009 13:00

Northampton Saints	19–3	Saracens
Try: Ashton Reihana Pen: Myler (3)	Report	Pen: Goode

Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Attendance: 12,037 Referee: Gwyn Morris (WRU)

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14 November 2009 15:00

Leicester Tigers	29–20	Newport Gwent Dragons
Try: Crane Allen Penalty Con: Staunton Pen: Staunton (2) Flood (2)	Report	Try: Tovey Brew Gomer-Davies Con: Connor Pen: Conner

Welford Road, Leicester Attendance: 16,297 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU)

Round 3

29 January 2010 19:15

Newport Gwent Dragons	40–19	Ospreys
Try: A. Jones Smith Brew Con: Tovey (2) Pen: Tovey (7)	Report	Try: Owen Penalty Prydie Con: Prydie (2)

Rodney Parade, Newport Attendance: 6,027 Referee: James Jones (WRU)

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29 January 2010 19:30

Leeds Carnegie	5–28	Saracens
Try: Wackett	Report	Try: Joubert Brits Powell Marshall Con: Hougaard (3) Jackson

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 1,781

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29 January 2010 19:45

Leicester Tigers	27–11	Bath
Try: Twelvetrees (2) Penalty Tuilagi Con: Vesty (2) Pen: Vesty	Report	Try: Fa'amatuainu Pen: Davis (2)

Welford Road, Leicester Attendance: 19,772 Referee: David Rose (RFU)

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29 January 2010 19:45

Sale Sharks	14–20	Northampton Saints
Try: Hodgson Koyamailbole	Report	Try: Mayor Diggin Pen: Myler (2)

Edgeley Park, Stockport Attendance: 6,506

Round 4

4 February 2010 19:25

Ospreys	21–17	Leeds Carnegie
	Report

Liberty Stadium, Swansea Attendance: 2,557 Referee: Gwyn Morris (WRU)

---

6 February 2010 14:15

Bath	40–7	Sale Sharks
	Report

Recreation Ground, Bath Attendance: 10,165 Referee: James Jones (WRU)

---

6 February 2010 15:00

Northampton Saints	23–11	Leicester Tigers
	Report

Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Attendance: 13,092 Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU)

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7 February 2010 15:00

Saracens	22–23	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Vicarage Road, Watford Attendance: 5,939 Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Pool 2 v Pool 3

Pool 2

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	T	TB	LB	Pts
1	Gloucester	4	2	0	2	87	81	+6	12	1	2	11
2	Scarlets	4	2	1	1	88	83	+5	9	1	0	11
3	London Irish	4	1	0	3	54	70	−16	4	0	2	6
4	Newcastle Falcons	4	0	0	4	41	105	−64	5	1	1	2

Source: ^[5]

Pool 3

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	T	TB	LB	Pts
1	Cardiff Blues	4	3	0	1	120	84	+36	14	2	1	15
2	London Wasps	4	3	0	1	67	55	+12	6	0	1	13
3	Harlequins	4	2	1	1	79	67	+12	7	0	1	11
4	Worcester Warriors	4	2	0	2	73	64	+9	8	1	0	9

Source: ^[5]

Round 1

7 November 2009 12:30

Worcester Warriors	32–6	Newcastle Falcons
	Report

Sixways Stadium, Worcester Attendance: 6,704

---

8 November 2009 13:45

Harlequins	15–15	Scarlets
	Report

The Stoop, London Attendance: 9,653 Referee: Tim Hayes (WRU)

---

8 November 2009 15:00

Gloucester	25–26	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester Attendance: 6,099 Referee: Rob Debney (RFU)

---

8 November 2009 15:00

London Irish	20–24	London Wasps
	Report

Madejski Stadium, Reading Attendance: 10,010 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (SARU)

Round 2

14 November 2009 15:00

Scarlets	32–17	Worcester Warriors
Try: Daniel Lyons Evans Priestland Con: Priestland (3) Pen: Priestland (2)	Report	Try: Cox Kitchener Con: MacRae (2) Pen: Crook

Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli Attendance: 5,560 Referee: David Rose (RFU)

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15 November 2009 13:45

Cardiff Blues	11–12	London Irish
Try: Rees Pen: Sweeney (2)	Report	Pen: Hewat (2) Homer Lamb

Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 7,778 Referee: JP Doyle (RFU)

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15 November 2009 15:00

London Wasps	21–14	Gloucester
Try: Varndell Simpson Con: Walder Pen: Hickey Walder (2)	Report	Try: Burns (2) Con: Burns (2)

Adams Park, High Wycombe Attendance: 7,475 Referee: Martin Fox (RFU)

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15 November 2009 15:00

Newcastle Falcons	8–19	Harlequins
Try: Tait Pen: Miller	Report	Try: Smith Con: Clegg Pen: Clegg (4)

Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne Attendance: 4,650 Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)

Round 3

30 January 2010 15:00

Gloucester	17–5	Worcester Warriors
Try: Burns Qera Con: Robinson Pen: Robinson (2)	Report	Try: Pennell

Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester Attendance: 7,192

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30 January 2010 17:45

London Wasps	13–18	Scarlets
Try: Varndell (2) Pen: Walder	Report	Pen: Priestland (6)

Adams Park, High Wycombe Attendance: 8,070 Referee: Dean Richards (RFU)

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31 January 2010 15:00

Cardiff Blues	45–24	Newcastle Falcons
	Report

Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 6,000 Referee: James Jones (WRU)

---

31 January 2010 15:00

London Irish	13–16	Harlequins
	Report

Madejski Stadium, Reading Attendance: 10,030 Referee: Martin Fox (RFU)

Round 4

6 February 2010 15:00

Scarlets	23–38	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli Attendance: 5,671 Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)

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6 February 2010 15:00

Worcester Warriors	19–9	London Irish
	Report

Sixways Stadium, Worcester Attendance: 7,501 Referee: David Bodilly (WRU)

---

7 February 2010 15:00

Harlequins	29–31	Gloucester
	Report

The Stoop, London Attendance: 9,732 Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)

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7 February 2010 15:00

Newcastle Falcons	3–9	London Wasps
	Report

Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne Attendance: 4,651 Referee: Andrew Small (RFU)

Knockout stage

	Semi-finals				Final
	14 March 2010 - Franklin's Gardens
	Northampton Saints	31
					21 March 2010 - Sixways Stadium
	Saracens	20
					Northampton Saints	30
	14 March 2010 - Cardiff City Stadium
					Gloucester	24
	Cardiff Blues	18
	Gloucester	29

Qualification criteria

The top teams from each pool qualify for the knockout stage. The pool winners were decided by the following criteria:^[4]

1. The pool winner will be the club with the highest number of match points in each pool. The pool winners will be ranked 1 to 4 by reference to the number of match points earned in the pools.

2. If two or more clubs in the same pool end the pool stage equal on match points, then the order in which they have finished will be determined by:

i. the greater number of matches won by the club and

ii. if the number of matches won is equal, the club with the greater total number of tries scored and

iii. if the total number of tries scored is equal, the club with the greater points difference (points scored for, less points scored against) and

iv. if the points difference is equal, the club with the fewer number of red cards and

v. if the number of red cards is the same, by the toss a coin.

Each of the four qualifying clubs shall be ranked as above and shall play each other as follows:

Semi-final 1 - 1st ranked club v 4th ranked club

Semi-final 2 - 2nd ranked club v 3rd ranked club

The first club listed in each of the semi-final matches shall be the home club.

Qualifiers

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	T	TB	LB	Pts
1	Northampton Saints	4	4	0	0	81	45	+36	7	0	0	16
2	Cardiff Blues	4	3	0	1	120	84	+36	14	2	1	15
3	Gloucester	4	2	0	2	87	81	+6	12	1	2	11
4	Saracens	4	2	0	2	83	69	+14	8	1	1	10

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Semi-finals

14 March 2010 12:15

Cardiff Blues	18–29	Gloucester
Try: Laulala Sweeney Con: Blair (2) Pen: Blair (2)	Report	Try: Burns Simpson-Daniel (3) Con: Robinson (3) Pen: Robinson

Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 8,378

---

14 March 2010 16:15

Northampton Saints	31–20	Saracens
Try: Dowson Mujati Diggin Best Con: Geraghty Pen: Geraghty (3)	Report	Try: Melck Pen: Hougaard (4) Jackson (1)

Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Attendance: 11,894 Referee: Romain Poite (FFR)

Final

21 March 2010 15:30

Northampton Saints	30–24	Gloucester
Try: Tongaʻuiha Downey Dickson Con: Myler (3) Pen: Myler (3)	Report	Try: Qera Penalty try Con: Robinson Pen: Robinson (4)

Sixways Stadium, Worcester Attendance: 12,024 Referee: Alan Lewis (IRFU)

FB 15 Shane Geraghty RW 14 Bruce Reihana OC 13 Jon Clarke IC 12 James Downey LW 11 Paul Diggin FH 10 Stephen Myler SH 9 Lee Dickson N8 8 Roger Wilson OF 7 Neil Best BF 6 Phil Dowson (c) RL 5 Juandré Kruger LL 4 Courtney Lawes TP 3 Brian Mujati HK 2 Brett Sharman LP 1 Soane Tongaʻuiha Replacements: HK 16 Andy Long PR 17 Regardt Dreyer PR 18 Jon Vickers FL 19 Mark Hopley N8 20 Mark Easter SH 21 Alan Dickens FH 22 Barry Everitt CE 23 Joe Ansbro Coach: Jim Mallinder

FB 15 Freddie Burns RW 14 James Simpson-Daniel OC 13 Tim Molenaar IC 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu LW 11 Lesley Vainikolo FH 10 Nicky Robinson SH 9 Rory Lawson N8 8 Adam Eustace OF 7 Akapusi Qera BF 6 Peter Buxton (c) RL 5 Alex Brown LL 4 Will James TP 3 Pierre Capdevielle HK 2 Olivier Azam LP 1 Nick Wood Replacements: HK 16 Darren Dawidiuk PR 17 Yann Thomas PR 18 Rupert Harden FL 19 Apolosi Satala FL 20 Andy Hazell SH 21 Dave Lewis WG 22 Tom Voyce WG 23 Charlie Sharples Coach: Bryan Redpath

See also

• 2009–10 Premiership Rugby
• 2009–10 Celtic League

External links

• Official website
• Anglo Welsh Cup on Premiership Rugby website
  • Tables
  • Fixtures and results
• Anglo Welsh Cup website

References

1. "Anglo-Welsh Cup fixtures revealed". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
2. "Anglo-Welsh Cup set to carry on". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
3. "LV= sponsors rugby's Anglo-Welsh Tournament" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 2009-10-29. Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
4. "About the LV= Cup". LV=. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
5. "Group Tables – LV= Cup – Previous Seasons". www.premiershiprugby.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 15 February 2013.